Is 10/12 oz skirting leather too light?

[ryan]

My wife is a trainer and wants a saddle for training. I gave her my roper I built, but it's too heavy for her. She wants a saddle similar to her show saddle but without the fancy stuff. She wants a lighter saddle but wants a wood tree. I plan to use Wickett and Craig leather (roughout) but I am concerned that 10/12 oz is too light. I recently watched Cheaney's Cutting Saddle video and he uses 10/12 except for the stirrup leathers. I am curious what everyone else uses for their lighter saddles. No matter what, I will be using 13/15 for the leathers.

Thanks

Ryan

[Bob]

My wife is a trainer and wants a saddle for training. I gave her my roper I built, but it's too heavy for her. She wants a saddle similar to her show saddle but without the fancy stuff. She wants a lighter saddle but wants a wood tree. I plan to use Wickett and Craig leather (roughout) but I am concerned that 10/12 oz is too light. I recently watched Cheaney's Cutting Saddle video and he uses 10/12 except for the stirrup leathers. I am curious what everyone else uses for their lighter saddles. No matter what, I will be using 13/15 for the leathers.

Thanks

Ryan

Ryan, I use biothane sewn onto light stirrup leathers. The 1" strip sewn just over the holes seems to do the trick. For a light training ladies saddle, the first place I'd start with is getting a light tree. A wood post is lighter, rather than a bronze/metal type. Light rawhide will help alot too. Talk to your tree maker, they can help alot to cut the weight down.

[jwwright]

Ryan, my wife and I both trainers and ranchers. I built my wife a ranch cutter a couple of months ago out of 13/15 oz. I got the weight down to 32 pounds, ready to ride including cinches. Smaller skirts, and cutting a few ounces where I could helped hold the weight down. Many of the cheaper trees use mostly hardwoods in their construction and are quite a bit heavier than good quality trees. I have handled a few made by a tree company I won't name, but there are many saddles being built on them. These trees weighed at least double what some good trees I have picked up did, and the weight sure wasn't coming from the rawhide. Maybe they are building those cheap ones out of Osage Orange? It is pleniful in the part of the country where those trees are built.......quien sabe.... Any way, this was my experience, and the wife is much happier with this lighter ranch cutter than she was her old 44 pound version. JW

Edited March 20, 2008 by jwwright

[rwc]

My wife is a trainer and wants a saddle for training. I gave her my roper I built, but it's too heavy for her. She wants a saddle similar to her show saddle but without the fancy stuff. She wants a lighter saddle but wants a wood tree. I plan to use Wickett and Craig leather (roughout) but I am concerned that 10/12 oz is too light. I recently watched Cheaney's Cutting Saddle video and he uses 10/12 except for the stirrup leathers. I am curious what everyone else uses for their lighter saddles. No matter what, I will be using 13/15 for the leathers.

Thanks

Ryan

I am finishing a wade saddle using Wickett and Craig 12 oz. leather and am very happy with it. Weight seems fine and good leather. I'll try to learn to post a pic when finished.